Battery pack with improved safety

Abstract

A battery pack secures safety even when a high-temperature gas or the like is generated therein due to thermal runaway or the like. The battery pack includes a battery module having at least one battery cell and a module terminal; a pack case configured to cover at least a part of an outer side of the battery module and having a pack terminal on at least one side; and a safety bus bar connected between the module terminal and the pack terminal or between the module terminals to provide a power path and configured to block the power path by a venting gas discharged from the battery module.

1 . A battery pack, comprising:
 at least one battery module including at least one battery cell and a module terminal;   a pack case configured to cover at least a part of an outer side of the at least one battery module and having a pack terminal on at least one side; and   a safety bus bar connected between the module terminal and the pack terminal to provide a power path and configured to block the power path by a venting gas discharged from the at least one battery module.   
     
     
         2 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety bus bar is disposed in a path of the venting gas. 
     
     
         3 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one battery module is a plurality of battery modules stacked in a first direction, and
 wherein the safety bus bar is configured to extend in the first direction.   
     
     
         4 . The battery pack according to  claim 3 , wherein the venting gas is discharged in a second direction, and
 wherein the safety bus bar is disposed at a front side or a rear side of the plurality of battery modules.   
     
     
         5 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety bus bar includes two or more different types of metal. 
     
     
         6 . The battery pack according to  claim 5 , wherein the safety bus bar is configured so that the two or more different types of metal are joined to each other. 
     
     
         7 . The battery pack according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one type of metal among the two or more different types of metal is meltable by the venting gas. 
     
     
         8 . The battery pack according to  claim 7 , wherein the two or more different types of metal have different melting points, and a first metal layer with a lower melting point is thicker than a second metal layer with a higher melting point. 
     
     
         9 . The battery pack according to  claim 8 , wherein the second metal layer is formed with a plurality of layers. 
     
     
         10 . An energy storage system, comprising the battery pack according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A vehicle, comprising the battery pack according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety bus bar has an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface facing the at least one battery module, and
 wherein a first groove is formed in the inner surface.   
     
     
         13 . The battery pack according to  claim 12 , wherein a second groove is formed in the inner surface. 
     
     
         14 . The battery pack according to  claim 12 , wherein the first groove has two inclined surfaces extending from a center portion. 
     
     
         15 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , further comprising a bus bar frame between the safety bus bar and the at least one battery module,
 wherein a plurality of slits are formed in the bus bar frames, and   wherein a first slit of the plurality of slits is above the safety bus bar and angled downwardly toward the safety bus bar.   
     
     
         16 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety bus bar comprises a first layer of a first metal and a second layer of a second metal, and
 wherein the first metal has a higher melting point than the second metal.   
     
     
         17 . The battery pack according to  claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the second layer is greater than a thickness of the first layer. 
     
     
         18 . The battery pack according to  claim 16 , wherein the safety bus bar comprises a third layer of a first metal, and
 wherein the second layer is between the first layer and third layer.   
     
     
         19 . The battery pack according to  claim 18 , wherein a thickness of the second layer is greater than a combined thickness of the first layer and third layer.